A big runner's chronicles given to encourage and inform other new runners and discuss various topics related to training, racing, Houston area running, the Houston Striders Running Club, HARRA (Houston Area Road Runners Association), and other health related issues.

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Oh, now I remember...

It's all coming back to me now. Spending Saturday afternoon in bed because I can't walk. Being so hungry I could eat a horse. Cramps. Aches. Pains. It's the Saturday long run, now showing at a theater near you.

I finally got that 15 miler in that I was supposed to do last weekend. Actually, it was 15.75 which comes awful close to 16 in some people's log books. I got a very civilized start at around 8 am. I wanted to start a lot earlier but for some reason my alarm clock was on PM and not AM. At least I was rested.

All went well. I did a modified River Oaks plus GRB route, then back the long way to the tennis center. The modification to the River Oaks leg took me down a couple of wrong turns. It was nice though. What a beautiful part of Houston. The lawns and flowers were in peak shape and the homes are so beautiful. I'm kind of glad I got lost a bit. I saw some areas I'd never seen before. The deeper you get into River Oaks, the more beautiful and BIG the homes seem to get. Oh, and the GRB leg wasnt' quite to GRB. I turned around at the Sabine bridge after a drink and a Gu.

I made it to Shepard and Kirby feeling GREAT!!! I decided on the out that I would take a little different approach to the hills than I usually do. I'm usually shuffling up even the slightest incline, maintaining my effort to the top. Today, I attacked those hills. No, not a sprint but just a strong push up, maintaining my pace all the way. It really felt good but I ended up paying for it during miles 14-15.

Another familiar feeling that I havent' experienced since January 14th was the urge to just quit. I was really feeling it by the time I got to the Memorial loop. I resisted the urge to run the short leg back to the tennis center and headed on around the long way, sticking to the plan. I'm glad I did. I've cut too many runs short since January and it was a good feeling to finish one.

I also did something different on my splits and recording my time. I usually stop my Garmin when I stop for water or stop for a stretch or to use the bathroom. Today, I just let it run. I think that's more in line with an actual race and also keeps things real. I know coach bragged in a comment a couple of weeks ago about my sub-14 average pace for 14 miles but that actually was a bit misleading since I stopped the Garmin at every break. I need to keep it more real so that I know what to expect come race day (if that makes sense).

8 comments:

Great job on the long run! I can't wait until I can run that far (a long run for me is still 4 miles). I found your blog through a link on the Runner's World forums -- do you mind if I link to you?(I need all the support I can get!)

Vic, super job on the long run, and Saturday here in Houston was awesome! I can so relate to the soreness you were talking about. I did the Austin Marathon 2 weeks ago and it was a few days before I could go up and down my stairs again easily. By the way, thank you again for going to my web site and linking your blog. It has now grown to bloggers in 36 states and 20 other countries. Keep up the good work!